Sausage Spinach Stuffed Shells Recipes

SAUSAGE, SPINACH, RICOTTA STUFFED PASTA SHELLS

Steps:

• Cook pasta shells: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil (1 teaspoon salt per quart of water). Cook the pasta shells according to the instructions on the package. Drain, rinse in cold water, and set aside.
• Cook onions, then sausage, then add garlic: Heat olive oil in a large skillet on medium high heat. Add the onions and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the sausage to the pan, breaking up the sausage into smaller bits. Lower the heat to medium. Cook sausage until cooked through, and no pink remains, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds to a minute more. Remove pan from heat.
• Make ricotta spinach stuffing: Beat the egg lightly in a large bowl. Mix in the ricotta, chopped spinach, 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese, basil, bread crumbs, salt, pepper, and sausage mixture.
• Fill pasta shells with stuffing: Fill each cooked pasta shell with some of the ricotta, spinach, sausage mixture.
• Arrange stuffed shells on chopped canned tomatoes in baking dish: Spread 1/2 cup chopped canned tomatoes over the bottom of each of the baking dishes. Arrange the stuffed pasta shells in the dishes. Spread the remaining tomatoes over the top of the pasta shells. At this point you can make ahead, to freeze (up to four months) or refrigerate before cooking. (If freezing, cover with foil, then wrap with plastic wrap.)
• Bake: Heat oven to 375°F. Cover the pans with foil and bake for 30 minutes, until hot and bubbling. Remove foil and sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese, bake uncovered for 10 more minutes. Recipe adapted from recipe on box of Barilla jumbo pasta shells, and a recipe appearing in the Sacramento Bee.

SAUSAGE STUFFED SHELLS WITH SPINACH

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 3-quart baking dish or spray with non-stick cooking spray.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil, add the pasta shells then follow package directions for cooking the shells. Drain, and then rinse the shells with cold water.
• Meanwhile, heat a wide skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook until browned, about 10 minutes. As the sausage cooks, use a wooden spoon to break the sausage up into small pieces in the pan.
• Stir in the garlic, tomatoes, as well as the thawed and ringed out spinach. Cook until heated through and liquid reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat then stir in the ricotta cheese. Taste for seasoning then adjust with salt and pepper to taste.
• Fill each shell with sausage filling and arrange into the baking dish. Scatter mozzarella cheese on top. Bake until the tips of the shells begin to brown and the cheese has melted, about 25 minutes. Serve with a warm marinara sauce (optional).

SAUSAGE AND SPINACH STUFFED SHELLS RECIPE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the jumbo shell pasta. Cook until the pasta is just pliable enough for filling, but no more. Rinse under cool water and set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease a large baking dish with cooking spray.
• Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic and continue cooking for another minute, until fragrant. Add the Italian sausage and cook until browned. Remove any excess fat and set the mixture aside to cool, about 10 minutes.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine the ricotta, shredded mozzarella, ½ cup Parmesan cheese, eggs, Italian seasoning, basil, and measured salt and pepper. Stir in the spinach. Add the cooled Italian sausage mixture and set aside.
• Add the cream and smashed garlic to a small saucepan and heat over medium-low until simmering, stirring occasionally. Once simmering, add the nutmeg and a pinch of salt and pepper. Reduce to low heat and simmer for 8-10 minutes, stirring frequently, until the mixture coats the back of a spoon. Whisk in the remaining ½ cup of Parmesan cheese and cook for 2 more minutes. Remove from the heat.
• Spoon the ricotta mixture into the par-cooked shells, and arrange face-up in the baking dish. If there's any filling leftover, spoon it between the shells.
• Remove the large garlic pieces from the garlic-cream sauce and pour the sauce over the stuffed shells. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes until the sauce is bubbly.
• Serve immediately, garnished with fresh parsley, if desired.

SPINACH & SAUSAGE STUFFED PASTA SHELLS

Steps:

• Cook pasta shells according to package directions.
• Drain and rinse with cold water and drain again.
• Combine remaining ingredients, except spaghetti sauce, in a large bowl and mix well.
• Fill each pasta shell with 3 tablespoons of filling.
• Place in a baking dish and top with spaghetti sauce.
• Bake at 350 degrees until heated through, about 30 minutes.
• To freeze: Freeze before baking.
• You may freeze individually wrapped shells without sauce, or freeze sauce-topped shells in baking dish.

ITALIAN SAUSAGE STUFFED SHELLS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly oil a 9x13 baking dish.
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook shells in the boiling water, stirring occasionally until tender yet firm to the bite, about 10 to 12 minutes. Drain. Lightly oil a rimmed baking sheet; place drained pasta on baking sheet to cool.
• Heat 2 teaspoons vegetable oil over medium-high heat in a heavy skillet. Cook and crumble sausage until it has lost its pink color and begins to brown. Remove from heat; drain off grease.
• Stir half of the shredded cheese and the Italian seasoning into the browned sausage. Spoon mixture into the pasta shells (1 to 2 tablespoons per shell). Arrange stuffed shells in prepared baking dish. Pour marinara sauce evenly over the shells. Top with remaining shredded cheese. Cover tightly with aluminum foil.
• Bake in preheated oven until heated through and bubbly, about 30 minutes. Remove foil; bake until browned, 5 to 10 more minutes. Sprinkle with a pinch of Italian seasoning, if desired.

SAUSAGE-STUFFED SHELLS

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, cook sausage over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Set half of the sausage aside for filling. Add the tomato sauce, tomato paste, water, brown sugar and Italian seasoning to sausage in pan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally., In a small bowl, combine the cottage cheese, 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, egg, parsley and reserved sausage. Stuff into shells. Spread 1/4 cup meat sauce in an ungreased 1-qt. shallow baking dish. Place stuffed shells in dish; drizzle with remaining meat sauce. , Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese if desired. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until filling reaches 160°.